Resonators, Coriolis accelerometers, and radial actuators are two examples of the many different types of actuators. A common problem of all types of actuators is the need to use large actuation voltages. These large voltages are required to produce a sufficient electrostatic force to move the actuators. However, these large voltages also decrease the battery-life for portable applications. To decrease the magnitude of the voltage, the size of the actuator can be increased. However, this increased size also increases the cost of the actuator. Accordingly, a need exists for an actuator that can use lower actuation voltages while still generating sufficient electrostatic force to move the actuator and while decreasing or at least maintaining the size and cost of the actuator.